Around ten Kuki insurgents were killed in an encounter with security forces in Manipur's Jiribam district on Monday, according to sources. A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soldier was injured during the attack, reportedly initiated by the suspected Kuki militants in the district near the Assam border. The injured soldier was taken to Silchar Medical College in Assam for treatment.

Authorities reported that the bodies of two elderly people were discovered in a house in Jiribam, which had been set on fire by suspected insurgents. Sources indicated that the encounter began after the suspected Kuki insurgents launched a coordinated assault from two directions on a police station in Jiribam. Notably, a relief camp for internally displaced individuals is located next to the police station, and sources suspect the attackers may have been aiming to target this camp as well.

“The attackers likely arrived in autorickshaws,” a police officer told NDTV by phone from Jiribam. The targeted police station, located in the Borobekra area of Jiribam, has been subjected to multiple attacks in recent months.

Following their assault on the police station, the suspected Kuki insurgents reportedly moved towards a small settlement in Jakurador Karong, approximately 400 meters from the police station, where they began setting homes on fire while simultaneously engaging security forces in a gunfight. The CRPF has since deployed reinforcements to Jiribam, sources added.

In response to the deaths, Kuki civil society groups declared a shutdown in Kuki-dominated areas, referring to those killed as “village volunteers.” After the encounter, security forces recovered weapons from the site, including rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and AK-series assault rifles. Both sides continue to claim that their "village volunteers" use only single-barrelled licensed guns, despite widespread visuals that suggest otherwise.

Tensions in Jiribam have been high since last week following fresh violence in the area. Last Thursday, a woman from the Hmar tribe was reportedly killed by suspected Meitei insurgents, who also set houses ablaze. Her husband filed a police complaint alleging that she was raped before being killed. The following day, a woman from the Meitei community was fatally shot by suspected Kuki insurgents while working in a paddy field.

On Monday morning, fresh violence erupted in Imphal East District, where suspected Kuki insurgents reportedly opened fire from the hills, injuring a farmer. With the violence coinciding with the paddy harvest season, concerns are rising as farmers hesitate to work in their fields due to safety concerns, officials noted.

The CRPF, India’s largest Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), has been active in managing internal conflicts and has played a significant role in anti-Maoist operations across states like Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Bihar. In September, CRPF Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Manish Kumar Sachar commented that families in Manipur’s relief camps are willing to return home if their safety can be assured.

The ongoing conflict has also seen protests from the Kuki community against the central government’s recent decision to redeploy two Assam Rifles battalions from Manipur to Jammu and Kashmir.